Humboldt County's transit shame

Humboldt County has earned the reputation of being one of the most conscientious places in California. Blame it on the prevalence of secondary education intuitions, the influx of the "hippies" in the 1970s, or our constant exposure to nature, but this area is a mecca for those who see a problem with the way Americans are conducting their lives, and strive to do better. Consider the popularity of the farmers markets, or the Eat Local Movement. Or how Arcata's citizens passed ordinances limiting big, impersonal chain restaurants from setting up shop in their town. It seems that we as a community have made a stand, sending a message to the rest of the nation that we are willing to sacrifice personal benefit for community values. Yet when it comes to making personal sacrifices for the betterment of not only our community, but the entire planet, it seems as though Humboldt County is falling short of the mark. In Megan Hansen's article ("On the road in Humboldt", Times-Standard, Nov. 22, Page A1) the citizens of Humboldt County got an inside look at one issue of the environmental movement that we have neglected.

Although our local public transportation system is no rival to those serving metropolitan areas like Portland or Los Angeles, it is a disgrace that only 1.4 percent of workers use public transportation. Especially taking into consideration that, as Humboldt County Public Works Director Tom Mattson reports, Humboldt residents don't live very far from their work places and that in this area many residential areas are close to commercial areas, it seems that it is not out of necessity but out of convenience that most people choose to drive their cars to work instead of using public transportation. Even more staggering is the percentage of people who drive alone to work, a whopping 72 percent of all commuters. Not wanting to spend the time to take the bus is understandable, yet carpooling is a way to trade the efficiency of using personal transportation with social responsibility, while still lessening the impact of using fossil fuels.

Every year Americans witness more and more effects from global warming. We can do many things reactively: We can organize charitable funds to help people recover from events like Hurricane Katrina or Superstorm Sandy, we can lament changing weather patterns, and we can adjust ourselves to the new animals that move to make their homes in our changing climate. But if Humboldt County collectively acts proactively, staying consistent with our mores, then we may not need to spend so much on adjustment. The point here is clear: With the advancement of global warming and the human race's (not to mention all other carbon-based life forms) dependence on our environment as we have known it, residents of Humboldt County cannot afford to choose convenience over utility. By making the necessary sacrifices now to invest in our future, we may be able to offset negative effects of global warming. And if we can't, at least we can tell our children and grandchildren that we tried.